Town Council Formally Objects to Proposed Parking Charges

Posted 2 hours ago in West Northamptonshire Council

At its meeting on 12 January 2026, Towcester Town Council resolved to object to West Northamptonshire Council’s proposals to increase parking charges across its car parks.

The proposed changes would affect all Market Towns across West Northamptonshire, including Towcester. The Town Council expressed concern that these increases could have a negative impact on the town centre by discouraging visitors and reducing footfall for local businesses. The Council also emphasised that higher charges may lead to more vehicles being displaced into already congested residential areas, potentially making access more difficult for emergency services.

Following the significant number of objections received, West Northamptonshire Council rescinded its original plans. However, it has since put forward a revised proposal to revoke existing off-street Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) relating to predominantly short-stay car parks.

This new proposal would affect Sponne Arcade and Tove short stay car parks, introducing a charge of £5 per hour for vehicles parked beyond the initial three hours of free parking.

Towcester Town Council, at a special meeting on 6th May, resolved to object to these proposals, citing the potential impact on the town centre, including the effect on local businesses, accessibility for residents, and overall traffic and parking availability for residents during off-peak hours.

Read the Town Council's full formal objection here. 

Here’s a brief overview of what the proposed Order will entail:

• It will revoke existing off-street Traffic Regulation Orders for the specified car parks, where those Orders are either inconsistent with or directly affected by this new proposal.
• The Order will consolidate and regulate the use of the Council’s off-street parking places by specifying the parking locations involved, setting out the conditions under which vehicles may be left, and detailing provisions for parking charges, charging hours, free-parking periods, exemptions, and permits.
• Additional measures will include provisions for pay and display, cashless parking, and barrier or ANPR-controlled parking places, as well as enforcement provisions applicable to these locations.

More details about the TRO Notice 2087 can be found on West Northamptonshire Council's website.  

Comments can be submitted no later than 14th May 2026 by email to WNCParkingEnquiries@kier.co.uk